Fast Folk Musical Magazine (Vol. 1, No. 4) Live at the Bottom Line

Various Artists

Recorded in January 1984, this collection of songs is the first in a series of live performances that Fast Folk Musical Magazine recorded at the Bottom Line, a popular music venue in Greenwich Village.

Musical topics range from the serious to the satirical. The former include a song about the plight of whales (“Call Me the Whale” to the tune of “The Greenland Whale Fisheries” by Paul Kaplan) and the Civil War (“Incident at Ebenezer Creek” by Jack Hardy), as well as songs about the trials and tribulations of love (Carolyn McCombs, “Wasted Love,” and Christine Lavin performing a humorous “Regretting What I Said”). On the lighter side are “Howard Hughes Blughes” by Erik Frandsen and “Unemployment Rag” by Frank Christian. David Massengill’s iconic “The Great American Dream” closes this session. Several of the acoustic performances are supported by a house band of electric guitar, bass, and drums.